Phonograph



June 30, 1942- c. HuENLlcl-l 2,288,242

PHONOGRAPH Filed March 22. 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Bnventor CharlesHzerz'lz'c/a June 3o, 1942.

C. HU ENLICH PHONOGRAPH Filed March 22, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lmventorCharles Haenlict (ttorneu Patented June 30, 1942 PHONOGRAPH CharlesHuenlich, Bloomfield, N. J., assigner to Thomas A. Edison, Incorporated,West Orange, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 22,1941, Serial No. 384,636

Claims.

This invention relates to phonographic machines and more particularly toimprovements therein for reducing record noises in the operation ofthese machines. The invention is especially concerned with devices inthese machines for removing from the records thereof dust and otherloose random particles such as will cause record noises and otherdefects in the phonograph operation.

My invention is particularly applicable to phonographs of the typewherein a recordation is made on a wax-like record by the process ofcutting sound-modulated grooves into such a record. In machines of thistype there is an especially great need for record-cleaning devices asmany of the record particles which are cut from the record body in therecording process adhere to the recorded surface of the record and causea high level of record surface noise when the recordation on the recordis reproduced. To clean the record of the cut-away record portions, andof dust, dirt, or other loose random particles such as will normallycollect on the record, it is customary to sweep the record surface witha suitable brush during the course of the machine operation. Thesebrushes tend, however, to become loaded with the particles which areswept from the record and thus, in time, to lose their effectiveness.

It is an object of my invention to cause record cleaning devices inphonographs to be maintained at or near maximum effectiveness throughouttheir normal use, and to effectively accomplish this result byrelatively simple structure.

It is another object to provide a phonograph with means to dischargeautomatically a record cleaning device or brush of the particlescollected thereby.

It is a further object to cause this discharge to occur at appropriateintervals without the need for any special attention or manipulation onthe part of the user of the machine.

It is still another object of my invention to restore record cleaningdevices to effective condition by the use of means actuated in thenormal course of operation of the machine. In this respect it is afeature of my invention that this restoration be effected as an incidentof the movement or operation of any appropriate element of thephonograph which is driven or manually moved in the course of thephonograph operation.

Other and allied objects lie in the various combinations of elementshereinafter described and will more fully appear from the followingdescription and the appended claims.

In the description of my invention reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings, of which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional side view of a phonograph in which oneembodiment of my invention is incorporated;

Figure 2 is a rear view of a portion of the mechanism shown in Figure l,with parts appearing in section on the line 2-2 of that figure;

, Figure 3 is a vertical sectional side view of a phonograph generallysimilar to that of Figure 1 but showing a second embodiment of myinvention incorporated therein;

Figure 4 is a rear View of a portion of the mechanism shown in Figure 3,with parts appearing in section on the line -d of that ligure;

Figure 5 is a fractional side elevational vview, with parts in verticalsection, of a phonograph similar to that shown in Figures 1 and 3 butwherein there is incorporated a, third embodiment of my invention; and

Figure 6 is a View illustrating details in the mechanism shown in Figure5, and taken substantially on the line 6-6 of that ligure.

My invention is herein illustrated in connection with a conventionalbusiness phonograph or dictating machine which operates on a hollowcylindrical record R typically of a waxlike composition. The record issupported rotatably on a mandrel l which is journalled as at 2 in anupright standard 3 of a frame 4 of the machine. Carried on suitablestandards of the frame 4 for example, at the left side of the machine onthe standard 3-are upper and lower cross rods 5 and 6 on which acarriage 1 is slidably mounted. The mounting of the carriageon the upperrod 5 is made through a long sleeve 8 (partially shown in Figure 2)which is flanged at one end and secured to the carriage by screws 8',and the mounting on the lower rod 6 is effected by the direct slidableengagement of a slotted portion of the carriage with the rod. Thecarriage comprises a hollow rearward portion through which the rods 5and 6 pass and in which certain operating mechanism is housed as ishereinafter explained, and a forward arm which overlies the supportedrecord R and which carries a translating device 9. A feeding movement ofthe carriage along the rods 5 and 6 is produced by means of a feed screwI0 anda cooperating feed nut Il of which the feed screw is rotatablysupported at its ends in the standards aforementioned and the feed nutli is movably mounted on the carriage-as through a bracket 21 pivoted tothe carriage on a rod 28-and is biased into engagement with the feedscrew b y a tension spring 29 between the bracket 21 and a rod 30 on thecarriage. adapted to cooperate with the record R to record thereon andreproduce therefrom, it being understood that during a recordation orreproduc,

*which, in recording, operates to produce a sound The translating device9 is' modulated groove in a record body by a cutting operation. Thetranslating device here shown, being of an acousto-mechanical form, hasa sound box I2 provided with a stylus holder I3 in which there ismounted a recording stylus Il. The sound box is pivotally connected to aframe I5 through an arm I6 on the sound box and a lug I1 depending fromthe frame at the front thereof, the arm being pivoted to the lug as atI8. Sound communication to and from the sound box is had by way of atubular neck I9, which extends up from the frame I6, and a tube 20 whichcouples the neck to the sound box, the coupling between the tube 20 andsound box comprising a spherical flange 20' on the tube and a dome I2'on the box which cooperate to form a universal joint. Beneath the soundbox I2 there is provided a biasing weight 2l which has a universalcoupling with the lug I1 to permit the weight to move both verticallyand laterally in relation to the frame of the translating device, theweight having an arm 2l' pivoted at I 6 to provide its vertical freedomof movement and a pivoted connection I6' with the arm to provide itslateral freedom of movement. This weight is centrally apertured, as at22, to permit the recording stylus I4 and its holder to passtherethrough. Plvoted to the weight at 24 is a lever 23 which extendsthrough the weight and which carries a reproducing stylus 25.

When the translating device is conditioned for recording, both the soundbox and weight occupy lowered positions wherein they are supported bythe record, the sound box being supported by way of the`recording stylusand its holder and the weight being supported through an advance ball 26which glides on the record surface, the weight however performing nouseful function in the present instance. When the translating device isconditioned for reproducing, the sound box is held in a raised positionas is hereinafter explained, and the weight is held by the lever 23 inan intermediate position between the record and sound box, the leverbeing supported at its one end by the stylus holder I3 and at its otherend by the record through the reproducing stylus, and the weight beingheld in a floating condition and serving to bias the reproducing stylusagainst the record,

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the conditioning of the translating device,and the coupling of the feed nut with the feed screw. are eachcontrolled by a lever 3I which is pivoted to the sleeve 6 within thehollow carriage portion, the lever projecting upwardly through anopening 32 in the top of the carriage so as to be manually accessible.The operative connection between the control lever and the feed nutcomprises a cross rod 33, which is carried by the lever between two legs34 projecting from the hub thereof, and a cam arm 35 on the bracket 21of the -feed nut which is cammed by the rod 33 as the lever 3l is rockedon its axis. The operative connection of the control lever 3I to thetranslating device comprises the rod 33 just mentioned and a pair oflifting fingers 36 and 31. These fingers are pivoted on the rod 28 andrespectively provided with cam portions 36 and 31 which are held incontact with the rod 33 by tension springs 39 and 39 connected betweenupright extensions 36" and 31 of the fingers and the rod 30. 'I'helifting fingers extend angularly forwardly into positions to engagerespective tabs 40 and II provided on the sound box and biasing weightrespectively. The camming of the rod 33 on the cam arm 35 and of thisrod on the lifting fingers 36 and 31, as the control lever 3I is rockedon its axis, is such as to effect the following control action:

When the lever 3| is in a forward positionthe position occupied by thelever in the figures and herein referred to as its "recordingposition-the rod 33 is held free of the cam arm 35 and the feed nut isheld in engagement with the feed screw I0 by the spring 29; the rod 33however bears against the lifting fingers 36 and 31 and holds them downout of contact with the sound box II and biasing weight 2I which, beingthus free of the lifting fingers, are held by gravity on the record tomaintain the translating device in Vits condition for recording. As thelever 3| is rocked rearwardly into a central or neutral position the rod33 engages the cam arm 35 and rocks the bracket 21 to disengage the feednut from the feed screw, the rod coming into engagement with a notch 35'to detent the lever in this central position; also, the rod 33 slidesdownwardly along the cams 36' and 31 and frees the lifting fingers tomove upwardly, in response to their biasing, to raise the sound box I2and biasing weight 2| and place the translating device in inoperativecondition. As the control lever ismoved further rearwardly into aterminal position-the position hereinafter referred to as itsreproducing position-the rod 33 moves free of the cam arm 35 and thefeed nut is again engaged with the feed screw by the action of thespring 29; also the rod moves along a dwell of the cam 36' to cause thelifting finger 36 to remain raised and retain the sound box in raisedposition, lbut the rod engages a turned back portion of the cam 31',which is of a V-shape, and cams the lifting finger 31 downwardly out ofcontact with the biasing weight, the weight being thus renderedeffective to bias the reproducer stylus against the record and maintainthe translating device in reproducing condition. As the control lever isnext rocked forwardly a reverse action will take place: the translatingdevice being restored to inoperative condition and the feed nut beingdisengaged as the lever is returned to neutral position, and thetranslating device being returned to recording condition and the feednut being reengaged with the feed screw as the control lever is returnedto recording position.

For the purpose of cleaning the record surface of dust and particles cutfrom the record body during recording, there is provided a brush 50.

This brush is made up of any suitable soft ne" strands such as of hair.fibers or the like-for example, of ponyor camel hair-and is mounted onthe carriage 1 so as to be carried along the record with the translatingdevice. is held in contact with the rotating record and carriedtherealong during recording and reproducing. Thus the bush is movedprogressively across the surface of the record to clean the record by asweeping action. This action however, being one in which the particlesswept from the record are collected by the brush, causes the brush tobecome loaded in time with these particles and to lose itseffectiveness.

To prevent this loss in effectiveness of thebrush, without incurring theneed forany special l matter and in the restoration of the translatingattention or manipulation on the part of the operator, I provide a meansto cause the brush to be discharged automatically, at appropriateintervals, of the sweepings collected thereby. It is contemplated in myinvention that this discharge occur in the course of the operation ofthe machine as an incident of the normal operation or actuation ofanysuitable operative element of the machine. For instance, the dischargemeans may be actuated by the power of the machine from the drivenelements thereof, or by hand in response to the normal manipulationsmade on the machine in adjusting and controlling it, or when actuated bythe power of the machine it may be controlled manually in anyappropriate manner through the normal manipulations made on the machine.Furthermore, while my invention is not necessarily restricted to anyparticular positioning of the brush and record, it is preferred that thebrush operate on a surface portion of the record which is at an inclinewith the horizontal or which constiiutes a lower or bottom portion ofthe record in order that the sweepings may be easily kept o the recordas they are discharged from the brush. In the case of cylindricalrecords, the brush may operate on any lower portion of the record-forexample, on the back side of the record as shown in the figures-whileyet permitting an easy and proper disposal of the sweeplngs.

In Figures 1 and 2 there is shown an embodiment of my invention which isboth manually controlled and manually actuated. In this embodiment, thebrush 50 is pivoted to the back part of the carriage l, it being clampedby a screw 5I to a bail member 52 which is pivoted to the carriage on arod 53. Thispivoting of the brush permits the brush to swing from aneffective position-the substantially horizontal position occupied by thebrush in the gures--to an ineffective position away from the record suchfor example as the downwardly inclined position represented by dash-dotlines in Figure l. The brush is held in effective position whenever thetranslating device is in operative condition either for recording orreproducing, by the abutment of an arm 52 on the bail member 52 with arearward projection 54 on the lifting nger 31. When the translatingdevice is shifted to inoperative condition the projection 54 is howevermoved free of the arm 52', by the upward or clockwise movement of thelifting linger 31 which occurs in such shifting of the device, and thebrush is moved down into ineffective position in response to its weightbiasing. This shifting of the brush to ineffective position is for thepurpose of getting it suitably away from the record to permit it to bereadily discharged of the sweepdevice to initial or start position tocondition the machine for operation on a newly mounted record-will causethe strands or hair of the brush to be swept across the teeth of themember 55, the strands being first deflected and then released as theyare moved free of the member 55. As the strands are so released they areflicked-i. e., sprung back to normal position with a quick sharpmovement by their own resilience. This iiicking of the strands causesthe sweepings thereon to be shaken off or discharged. The spacingbetween the'teeth of the member 55 may be chosen at suitable intervalssuch as is for example indicated in Figure 2.

In Figures 3 and 4 there is shown a second embodiment of my inventionwhich is also manually controlled and operated. This embodiment isherein shown in connection with a phonograph proper which issubstantially the same as that shown in the prior figures and whereinlike parts are given the same reference characters and new parts aregiven new reference characters. The brush 50, which is slightly alteredin respect of its holder and given the reference character a, is in thiscase rigidly held in effective position by a screw which clamps theholder of the brush to the carriage.

The means to discharge the sweepings from the brush 50a comprises a bail6I which is pivoted to the carriage, at a point above the brush holder,on a cross rod 62. The bail is controlled by the lifting finger for thesound box I2, which lingerbeing slightly altered from the analogous nger36 of the prior embodiment in that a pivot ear 63 is added-is referredto as 36a. The coupling between the bail and lifting finger 36acomprises a short arm 64 on the bail and a link 65 pivoted at 66 to thearm 64 and at 61 to the ear 63 of the lifting finger.` As so coupled thebail is caused to pass laterally through the brush as the lifting finger36a is moved to raise and lower the sound box l2, the bail being swungdownwardly and upwardly as the finger is raised and lowered. Themovement of the bail through the brush causes the strands thereof to beflicked as in the manner above described in connection with my priorembodiment, and to be freedof the particles adhering thereto. Since thelifting finger 36a is operated with each shift in the conditioning ofthe translating device between inoperative and recording conditionsevery such shift will cause the brush to be discharged of the sweepingscollected thereby. Thus in placing the machine into and out of conditionfor recording, as in a normal recording operation and in reproducing aportion of previously recorded matter while in a course of. a recordingoperation, the brush will be discharged automatically of its sweepings.

In Figures 5 and 6 there is shown a third embodiment of my inventionwhich is controlled manually but actuated by the power of the machine.This embodiment is herein shown in connection with a phonograph properwhich is also substantially the same asthat shown in the prior figuresand wherein like parts are given the same reference characters and newparts are given new reference characters. Several analogous parts whichappear here in slightly altered form are however given the old referencecharacters with the addition of the letter b.

In this third embodiment a record brush 50h, which is altered only inrespect of its holder, is resiliently supported in effective oroperative position on a cantilever spring 10. This spring is secured bya screw 1I to the phonograph carriage which, being somewhat differentlyshaped in its rearward portion, as will hereinafter be apparent, isreferred to as 1b. In this embodiment, the brush 50h is movedimpulsively or jarred, at intervals, so as to cause the strands thereofto be shaken or flicked and freed of the particles swept from therecord. 'This jarring of the brush is effected automatically during theoperation of the machine in response to the driven movement of thecarriage along the record. The means to so jar the brush comprises acantilever spring 12 which is secured to the carriage, by the screw 1Iaforementioned, and loaded at its end by a Weight 13. This weight has acentral aperture 14 through which loosely extends the holder of thebrush 50h, the aperture 14 being elongated in a vertical direction topermit an up and down movement of the weight in relation to the brush.When the spring 12 is in a free unbiased state the weight contacts theholder of the brush at the top of the aperture 14. To impart an impulseto the brush the spring 12 is charged or biased in an upward direction,the weight being moved in relation to the brush substantially throughthe length of the aperture 14y and then the spring is released to movethe weight downwardly under the iniluence of its biasing. The weight isthus caused to strike the holder of the brush with an impact, whichimpact will cause the hair of the brush to be flicked and the sweepingsadhering thereto to be discharged.

The charging of the spring 12 at regular intervals in the drivenmovement of the carriage is effected by a ratchet-toothed bar 15, whichis carried by the carriage support rod 6b in a groove provided therein,and a pin 1`1 on the spring 12 which extends through an opening 18 inthe rearward portion of the carriage into engagement with the bar 15.The bar 15, which is clearly shown in Figure 6, may have the teeththereof spaced at any desired intervals as, for example, at about 1/2inch intervals as shown in this gure. The teeth of the bar are of suchheight as to cause an effective charging of the spring and to permitfull free release of the spring as the pin 11 slides off from eachtooth.

In order that a free manual movement of the carriage may be permittedwhile the translating device is in inoperative condition, there isprovided a means to move the spring 12 operatively free of the bar 15 asthe translating device is shifted from operative to inoperativecondition. This means comprises the lifting finger for the biasingweight 2| which, being somewhat altered from its shape in the priorembodiments of my invention, is referred to as 31h. On this nger thereis provided a downward projection 19 which carries a cross pin 80 at thelower end thereof and on the-weight 13 there is pinned, as at 8|, anangular arm 82 which has an upper horizontal portion overlying the pin80. When the control lever 3l is rocked from either recording orreproducing position into neutral position, the upward movement of thelifting finger 31h, which 'accompanies such rocking o f the controllever,

will cause the pin '80 to engage the lower side ofof my invention asthey are subject to many modifications and changes without departurefrom the scope of my invention, which I endeavor to express according tothe following claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a phonographic mechanism operable to record on amoving record, of a brush held in contact with the moving record ,tosweep the surface thereof free of dirt or loose particles; and means,associated with said mechanism and actuated intermittently in the courseof a recording operation, for cleaning said brush of the sweepingcollected thereby.

2. In a phonograph having a. movable record support: the combination ofa mechanism operable to record on and/or reproduce from a moving recordcarried by said support, comprising a plurality of movable parts eachoperated in the course of operation of the machine; a device associatedwith the supported record for collecting dirt or loose particles fromthe surface of the record; means operable to discharge said cleaningdevice of the loose particles collected thereby; and a coupling betweensaid discharge means and one of the said movable parts of said mechanismfor causing said discharge means to be operated by said one part.

3. In a phonograph having a movable record support and a mechanismoperable to record on and/or reproduce from a moving record carried bysaid support: the combination with an operating part included in saidmechanism of a brush held in contact with the moving record to sweepdirt or other loose particles from the surface thereof; means operableto flick the strands of said brush to discharge therefrom the sweepingadhering thereto; and means for causing said flicking means to beoperated by said operating part.

4. In a phonograph includinga recording mechanism adapted to operate ona wax-like record to cut sound-representing grooves therein: thecombination with an operating part included in said recording mechanism,of a. brush held in contact with the record to sweep therefrom looserecord portions cut from the record in the recording process; and means,coupled with said operating -part and operated automatically in thecourse of a recording operation, for flicking the strands of said brushwhereby to discharge therefrom the loose record portions collected bythe brush in its sweeping action.'

5. In a phonograph including a record support, a translating deviceadapted to cut sound-representing grooves in a record carried by saidsupport and drive means to effect a relative progressive movementbetween the record and said device: the combination of adjusting meansassociated with said device to place it into and out 1 of operativeassociation with the record; a. brush moved during recordation by saiddrive means in relation to the record to sweep the surface thereof freeof loose record portions and other particles; means actuatable to ickthe strands of said brush to discharge the particles collected therebyin its sweeping action; and means, controlled by said adjusting means,for causing a recurrent actuation of said flicking means.

6. In a phonograph having a movable record support and a translatingdevice adapted to cooperate With a record on said support: thecombination of an operating mechanism for effecting a progressivemovement between a supported record and said device; a brush held incontact with the moving record to sweep the surface thereof free of dirtor loose particles; means operable to nick the strands of said brushwhereby to shake off the loose particles collected thereby; and means,actuated by said operating mechanism, for causing an intermittentoperation of said flicking means.

7. In a phonograph having a movable record support and a translatingdevice adapted to cooperate with a record on said support: thecombination of means associated with said device to adjust it into andout of operative relationship with a supported record; a brushassociated with the record to sweep the surface thereof free of dirt andloose particles; and means, controlled by said adjusting means, forcausing the particles collected by said brush to be dischargedtherefrom.

8. In a phonograph having a movable record support and a translatingdevice adapted to cooperate with a record on said support: thecombination of means associated with said device to adjust it into andout of operative relationship with a supported record; drive means foreffecting a relative progressive movement between the record and saiddevice; a record brush; and means, actuated intermittently by said drivemeans and controlled by said adjusting means,

for intermittently subjecting said brush to a cleaning action.

9. The combination with a phonographic translating device, of meansassociated with said device for adjusting it into and out of operativerelationship with a moving record; a brush in surface contact with therecord for sweeping dirt or loose particles from the surface thereof;and means, controlled by said adjusting means, for causing the strandsof said brush to be shaken whereby to discharge the particles collectedthereby.

10. The combination with a phonographic translating device, of meansassociated with said device for adjusting it into and out of operativerelationship with a moving record; a brush in surface contact with therecord for sweeping dirt o r loose particles from the surface thereof;and meansrcoupled with and actuated by said adjusting means in eachadjustment of said device, for causing the strands of said brush-sto beshaken and discharged of the particles collected thereby.

11. The combination with a phonographic translating device of drivemeans for moving said device progressively in relation to a rotatingrecord; a brush in surface contact with said record for sweeping dirt orloose particles from the surface thereof; and means, actuated by saiddrive means at intervals in the travel of said translating device, forcausing the strands of said brush to be shaken whereby to free the sameof the loose particles collected thereby.

12. The combination with. a phonographic translating device of drivemeans for eiecting a progressive relative movement between said deviceand a record with which said device cooperates; means associated withsaid device for adjusting it into and out of operative engagement withthe record; a brush in surface contact with the record for sweeping dirtor loose particles therefrom; and means, actuated by said drive meansand controlled by said adjusting means, for causing an intermittenticking of the strands of said brush whereby to discharge the particlescollected thereby.

13. In a phonograph including a record support, a translating deviceadapted to cooperate with a record on said support and a carriagesupporting said device and movable across the record: the combination ofmeans associated with said device for adjusting it into and out ofoperative relationship with the record; a brush carried by said carriageand positionable into and out of surface contact with the record; meansoperative upon moving said carriage across the record while said brushis out of surface contact with the record for causing the brush to becleaned of the particles collected thereby; and means, operativelyintercoupling said adjusting means and brush and actuated upon placingsaid device into and out of operative relationship with the record, formoving the brush into and Vout of surface contact with the record.

14. The combination with a phonographic translating device mounted formovement in relation to a record, of a brush held in sweeping relationwith the surface of the record and carried with said device; meansactuatable to shake the strands of said brush and free the same of thesweeping collected thereby; and means for causing said shakingl means tobe operated by the movement of said device across the record.

15. The combination of a phonograph carriage movable in relation to arecord; a brush in surface contact with the record; means to flick thestrands of said brush; and means for causing a recurrent actuation ofsaid flicking means by the said movement of the carriage.

CHARLES HUENLICH.

